The Women’s Media Center (WMC) hosted its 20^th Anniversary Women’s Media Awards on June 5^th at the JW Marriott Essex House Hotel in New York City.

The WMC Awards were presented to outstanding leaders and champions for women in media. This year’s WMC 2025 Women’s Media Awards honorees were: 

• Geralyn White Dreyfous, Co-Founder of JOLT and Impact Partners, Chair and Co-Founder of the Utah Film Center, and Film Producer, was honored with the WMC Pat Mitchell Lifetime Achievement Award. 
• S. Mitra Kalita, Author; Co-Founder and CEO of URL Media and Epicenter NYC, was honored with the WMC Carol Jenkins Award. 
• Imani Perry, Henry A. Morss, Jr. and Elisabeth W. Morss Professor of Studies of Women, Gender, and Sexuality, and of African and American Studies; Carol K. Pforzheimer Professor, Harvard Radcliffe Institute, was honored with the WMC Progressive Women’s Voices Impact Award. 
• Erica Smiley, Author, and Executive Director of Jobs With Justice, was honored with the WMC Progressive Women’s Voices IMPACT Award. 
• Jessica Valenti, Author, Writer, Activist, and Creator of Abortion, Every Day, was honored with the WMC Progressive Women’s Voices IMPACT Award.

Women’s Media Center Co-Founders Jane Fonda, Robin Morgan, Gloria Steinem, and WMC President & CEO Julie Burtonspoke or presented awards at the gala. WMC Board Chair Janet Dewart Bell, WMC Board Co-Chair Emerita Pat Mitchell, former and founding WMC President Carol Jenkins, WMC Board Vice Chair Erica González Martínez, and Board Members, Soraya Chemaly, Regina K. Scully, and Rebecca Adamson also helped celebrate the honorees at the gala. 

Julie Burton, president, and CEO of the WMC, says “When we started the Women’s Media Center 20 years ago, we framed the future with a clear mission: we wanted to see more women in media, hear more women in media, and read more articles by women in media. We have made progress, but change doesn’t come without a fight. We at the Women’s Media Center stand firm in our work for equality and opportunity for diverse women in media and beyond. This year, our Women’s Media Awards celebrate 20-year milestones for women’s representation in media and honor champions for women who set the standard for what media should look like when it gives voice to the female half of the country.” 

“What an honor to celebrate the Women’s Media Center after 20 years of amplifying women’s voices, leadership and rights within our culture,” says Regina K. Scully, Women’s Media Awards co-chair, WMC board member, executive producer of Women’s Media Center Live with Robin Morgan.

The Women’s Media Awards Co-Chairs were Loreen Arbus, Meredith Bluhm-Wolf, Donna Deitch, Anne Kiehl Friedman, Mellody Hobson, Cindy Holland, Carlene C. Laughlin, Michelle Mercer & Bruce Golden, Pat Mitchell, Susan Pritzker, Sheryl Sandberg, Regina K. Scully, Mary & Steven Swig, and Sophia Yen. 

Proceeds from this awards gala will support the work of the Women’s Media Center.